ND - Miami: Make It Happen, Part 2

From today's South Bend Trib:

A story in the Miami Herald this week reported that Miami athletic director Kirby Hocutt wants to schedule marquee opponents and would be interested in speaking with Notre Dame about one of ND's off-site games. The off-site games, which begin in 2009, serve as a home game for Notre Dame from a revenue and television rights standpoint, however. And that means a rekindling of the heated rivalry could be difficult to schedule. "Our understanding from the ACC is that their member schools are not permitted to participate unless they can retain the television rights, and that's not really what the format is," John Heisler, Notre Dame's senior associate athletic director for media and broadcast relations, said Thursday. "Our intention was for us to retain the television rights, and in effect, they're already part of our NBC agreement." Notre Dame and NBC last month announced a five-year extension of the contract to televise Notre Dame football home games, running from 2011 to 2015.Playing a home-and-home series may also be difficult. "Between playing three Big East schools, three Big Ten schools and USC and Stanford and Navy, we're already having to take a break with some of those people relative to home-and-homes," Heisler said. "So I think numbers are going to make it difficult with all those things in place as we move forward, at least for the time being." Notre Dame and Miami have not played since 1990. Notre Dame holds a 15-7-1 advantage in the series.


I can live with the fact that the ACC regulates their conference schools playing neutral site games, although I have to believe that there is still a way for ND to be flexible and not take ALL of the revenue from such a game. But for Heisler to come out and say that because we are playing STANFORD we can't pull off a home and home with The U is the most ridiculous statement I ever heard. Did I miss the lifetime contract we signed to play Stanford every year? Please, Mr Heisler, tell me exactly what Stanford brings to the table? Let's see what would get ND coaches, players, recruits, alumni and fans more excited: a home and home with Miami or freaking Stanford on the schedule again. Seriously, sometimes the crap that comes out of the athletic department these days makes me embarrassed to be a Notre Dame alum. Our school is more content to play Stanford every year than go out and schedule a marquee game, and is more concerned with finding a cushy bottom feeder school to play these neutral site games and keep all the money than actually finding a challenging opponent that would attract national attention and make ND football relevant again. It's disgusting.

Mailing it in

Here is Washington's current list of football recruits for 2009 (note: Notre Dame currently has 11 recruits and even bad programs like Washington State and Arizona have some recruits lined up):

NONE. NONE! ZERO! 0! Are you kidding me??! Ty is literally hanging by a thread at Washington, and yet he has zero recruits signed so far. Probably 95% of Washington fans want him gone, Jim Mora is lurking in Seattle as a possible replacement, he's on every "hot seat" list in the country, and the guy doesn't even care enough to line up even one recruit for next year. You couldn't even possibly try to mail it in more than he has so far.

This is the guy that Notre Dame got ripped for firing and still does to this day?? Ty Willingham??? Seriously?? Maybe the laziest coach in all of American sports?? The guy with a grand total of ZERO recruits who is setting back Washington football for a decade (and almost did the same for Notre Dame football)?? The guy who threw out comments like "last time I checked, we've won four of our last six" as if he deserved some sort of congressional medal of honor?? The guy who loaded ND's roster with 2 star recruits and crippled our program?? The guy who perfected the stoic look while his team competely collapsed around him??

Where are all the columns apologizing to Notre Dame for making the right decision?? Why isn't Michael Wilbon on PTI every day telling the world that Ty Willingham has ZERO recruits for Washington coming in even though his team went 4-9 last year and desperately needs talent?? To say it's a double standard would be the biggest understatement of all time.

I absolutely CANNOT WAIT to call Washington a bunch of "racists" and "a win at all costs program" when they fire Ty after this year. I can't wait to say that "Washington sold its soul" for victories. I can't wait to say things like "The University of Washington and their fans are clearly racist for wanting to get rid of Willingham. If they weren't so concerned with petty things like actually winning games and bringing in recruits and selling out their stadium, they would see that Ty has a lot of integrity and that he's never had a bad day." I might write a 5000 word article on this blog in fact just to rub it in (not that any Washington fans even read this blog. Does anyone read this blog??)

Just seeing that clown's face still chaps me off. Maybe I shouldn't care so much about a failed coach like Willingham, but I don't think I will EVER get over what was said about ND in 2004 even though we CLEARLY did the right thing by getting rid of that lazy clown. I won't be satisfied until he is gone from college football and the media apologizes to ND for slandering the school and the program like it did. Somehow I suspect that I will be waiting a very long time for that apology, and that the media won't be as hard on Washington as it was on ND.

There isn't a score high enough for me when we play them on October 25.

ND-Miami: Make it happen

The U is calling us out for a game. Memo to the new athletic director, we want this game. Get it done, and I'll be there with a "Catholics vs. Convicts" tshirt ready to go. We haven't played Miami in almost 20 years, so it's time to restart the rivalry. They are actually a good opponent for a neutral site game instead of a home and home since we have had bad experiences down at "The OB" in the past. Get this game to a fan-friendly neutral site somewhere on the east coast, and it would be a huge game. Heck, I'll play them at Del Boca Vista retirement community if they want. ND-Miami is a no-brainer, and it's a perfect fit for NBC to use for its primetime telecast vehicle. We don't even need a new AD to say yes to Miami for this game. Then again, knowing our current administration, we'll probably turn it down and immediately use that spot for Baylor. Why set up a game that fans would be excited about for years when you can set up a 48-0 win over Baylor in front of a half-full crowd and about 13 viewers on NBC??

Here's the article from the Miami Herald with the relevant text:

"Hocutt said UM won't play FIU but wants to book marquee opponents and would be interested in speaking with Notre Dame about one of its new, annual prime-time neutral site NBC games."

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/597430.html

Just seeing that "ND to renew storied rivalry with Miami" headline on the front page of ESPN.com would be awesome and send an immediate message that we are always willing to line up marquee games.

I'll throw out a perfect venue as well. Giants Stadium. If ND wants to barnstorm, let's take our act to the biggest media market in the country.


Miami is on record saying they want a game. The ball is in our court. We should respond quickly with two words:

"Anytime, anywhere."

If we don't respond, the silence will be deafening.

I Got a Fever, And the Only Prescription is More Federer-Nadal

All Hail the new king of Wimbledon. Rafael Nadal earned the respect and admiration of the world with one of the finest played tennis matches of all time. If you missed it, or want to relive some of the spine-tingling points, the BBC produced this fantastic montage.

The big question remains - how much an impact will this match have on the American powers-that-be? That would be you, ESPN. The television giants pull the strings in shaping what the majority of people react to and care about with their endless supply of talk shows harping ad nauseum on the same (non) stories for days/weeks on end. Will they care enough to hype two of the greatest champions of our time, even though it's a Swiss and a Spaniard? Or will it get trumped by breaking news that Brett Favre ran over a groundhog on his mower in Kiln, Mississippi, and dislodging its bony remains might affect his throwing arm should he decide to contemplate the prospect of possibly un-retiring to play football again? Erin Andrews and Rachel Nichols will bring us all the coverage.

What's wrong with appreciating greatness when it Danza slaps you across the face? (And btw, there's a surprise waiting for you as the first image when you Google "danza slap." As if we needed more confirmation where he got his break in show business). Where's the debate on this terrific rivalry and its historical context? Will Federer recover? Will Nadal keep this torrid pace up? This is pertinent sports news.

The ATP Tour needed this booster shot of adrenaline since no American men have posed any threat on the Grand Slam stage for a while. If Bill Simmons had his way, tennis would be dramatically altered. It's quite ironic that his first line was so prescient seeing as the match was, arguably, the best in the last 20 years. Here's hoping Bill tuned in Sunday morning for the entirety of the match, because he would have been glued like I and countless others to the action that blended a chessmaster's guile, a gladiator's grit and gamesmanship without peer.

Tennis isn't in trouble. It boasts two of its brightest and most talented stars of this generation both at the apex of their game and challenging one another to greater heights. If anyone thinks that Federer is on the cusp of a downward spiral, slow your roll. The guy has been through more crap this year and still competing at a world-class level, even if the Slam titles have eluded him. It's a testament to his ability that he's gotten as far as he has, especially at the Australian and French. Yes, American tennis is down. Way down. But the sport is cyclical. Frankly, it's probably a good thing that there isn't a great up-and-comer because he sure as hell won't be prying any majors away from these two for some years.

Will we see this picture again?









I would bet my life savings on it. Can't wait to see a pissed off Roger out to prove something in Flushing Meadows. Also looking forward to Nadal applying his surging confidence to triumph on the hard courts of NYC. We'll be in for a treat.

And while we're on the subject of tennis - mad props to Ryan Sachire on his promotion to Associate Head Coach at Notre Dame. Not sure when Coach Bayliss will be hanging up the clipboard, but we've got one hell of a coach in the wings if/when that happens. I'd love nothing better than to see Sach get cozy in the shadow of the Dome and lead the guys for years to come.

My All-Star Team

I'm not very happy that Jason Varitek made the All-Star team. I know, it really doesn't mean anything, but it just rubs me the wrong way when a guy batting .215 with a sub .650 OPS is recognized for his accomplishments. So here is one guy's All Star Team:

NL
C- Brian McCann - Shocker, right. I'm not upset about that Soto pick. Good ol fashioned home team bias on this one.
1B - Lance Berkman - A no doubter
2B - Chase Utley - Hasn't done much in a month, and surprisingly good numbers from Dan Uggla, but the Phightin's are in 1st place ahead of the Fish
SS - Hanley Ramirez - Not even close. If HanRam doesn't switch positions he will go down as one of the best offensive shortstops ever. Does anyone do a better job at identifying prospects in trades than the Marlins?
3B - Chipper Jones - David Wright will have this spot locked down for the next 10 years, but he is a distant second this year. Although everyone can put to bed all those Chipper making a run at .400 thoughts (ok, maybe I was the only one hyping it up) He is down to a 'pedestrian' .379 right now.
OF - Ryan Braun - STUD. Should be a perennial selection.
OF - Matt Holliday - He missed some time and is still putting up incredible numbers. Am I the only one who thinks that Rockies team is still dangerous in a very sub-par NL West? If they could ever get Tulo healthy and hitting, I see a run in them yet.
OF - Carlos Lee - A lot of choices (McLouth, Beltran, Burrell, Ludwick), but I'm going with the most proven of all of them. All Carlos Lee does is drive in runs, and he's already over 70 this year.
SP - Dan Haren - I'm not going to be blinded by Brandon Webb's wins, and I gave serious consideration to Volquez and Lincecum, but Haren has been so consistent that he's too good to pass up. 103 K's and only 20 walks, sub 1.00 WHIP and a sub 3 ERA. Good enough for me.

AL
C - Joe Mauer - Really by default. I guess I just have to come to accept what Joe Mauer is. He's not going to be a power hitter, he's not going to be a run producer. He'll get on base, score some runs and handle a pitching staff. Looking over the list of AL catchers, that is more than most of his competition does.
1B - Jason Giambi - Are you ready for some facts. The AL has a severe shortage of quality one baggers right now. Morneau and Youkilis appear to be the top competitors to the 'stached one. The Giambino has more homers, a higher OBP and much higher OPS. Sorry, he's starting at first for me.
2B - Ian Kinsler - This one isn't even close. Maybe a bigger no brainer than NL SS. I didn't even know how good Kinsler has been. He might be my midseason AL MVP.
SS - Orlando Cabrera - Ughh. Where have all the AL shortstops gone. Could have gone with Mike Young, but I'll reward Cabrera for doing it for a 1st place team.
3B - Alex Rodriguez - A case could be made for Evan Longoria, and he definitely would be a reserve on my team, but ARod has been too good.
OF - Josh Hamilton - He's been awesome. Volquez has shown signs of being human, while Hamilton keeps producing. Would be interesting to see if you gave Rangers GM Jon Daniels truth serum if he would do that trade again.
OF - Grady Sizemore - Lots of locals getting a little ticked off that the Indians continue to bat their only true power hitter in the leadoff spot. Sizemore really has become a #3 hitter.
OF - Carlos Quentin - Toss up for me between Quentin and Jermaine Dye. I'll give it to the guy who has been more consistent. Don't know why Arizona dumped Quentin so quickly. Wonder if they wish they had kept him and not resigned Byrnes to a monster deal. Ouch.
SP - Cliff Lee - Consideration given to Duchscherer and Halladay, but Lee has been lights out. 99K's and only 19 walks. All this from a guy who spent most of last year in AAA after sucking it up for the Tribe.

Harden to the Cubs

WOW. Just when you thought the NL Central couldn't get any hotter, the Cubs go out and trade for one of the most talented arms in the game. There's some risk here, but it's still a good gamble for the Cubs. I don't think they gave up much to be honest. Patterson and Murton are marginal players, and Gallagher is a 3rd starter at best. With their resources, the Cubs can always find a Gallagher type player on the free agent wire (see Dempster, Lilly, etc).

Not sure if anyone read Buster Olney's blog post, but he seems to imply that Billy Beane knows that Harden is about to get hurt again. At this point in Billy the Great's career, I have no reason to doubt his judgment. This could be a great trade for the Cubs or Mark Mulder 2.0.

For what it's worth, I think it's worth the risk for the Cubs. They needed to get a front end starter, and Harden is definitely that when he's healthy. If you have Zambrano and a healthy Harden with that lineup and bullpen and manager, the Cubs would be far and away the best team in the National League and probably the best team in baseball.



Either way, Wrigley is going to be rocking and rolling all summer (not that it isn't already). It's going to be pretty exciting to watch the Brewers and Cubs battle it out for the division. Then again, if Harden goes on to dominate the NL Central for the next ten years, I am not going to be a happy camper as a Reds fan.

Beasley vs. Rose

Interesting start to the NBA summer league last night with the Beasley-Rose match up. I know it's just summer league, but it's interesting that Beasley was far and away the best player on the floor. I was a proponent of drafting Rose and wasn't all that in love with Beasley as a player, but it will be fun to see how this debate plays out.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=080707orlsummerleaguemiachi&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1

Just to get him on the record, here's my brother's email from a couple weeks ago about the draft. I'm not saying that I endorse his view on the Beasley-Rose debate, but it got me thinking a little bit. Just some food for thought. He is the only person who I respect as a sports fan who has gone on the record in favor of taking Beasley, so he could be in line for some serious bragging rights if his prediction pans out. Needless to say, he was feeling pretty good this morning and stands by his statement that the Bulls blew the draft. We shall see!

Here's the email:

"As far as the picks, I'm starting to think the Bulls really blew it. I think Rose is going to be a good player but Beasley is just an absolute man child. You can just put it in stone that Beasley is going to be an 8 time all-star. Rose probably will be too but point guards in the NBA are always a gamble. I don't think Rose is a good passer either. Chris Paul is so good because he pushes the ball and sees the floor better than anyone in the league. Rose is more of a scorer but he's only 6'3 so I don't think he'll be able to get to the rim as easily as he did in college. Put it on the prediction board that I think the Bulls will regret that pick. Everyone is point guard crazy because of what Paul and Deron Williams have done but I just don't think Rose is that kind of player.

Anyway, those were my thoughts. I also think that O.J. Mayo will be out of the league in 4 years, Joe Alexander might end up being the best player in the draft (best post-pick interview I've ever seen by the way. Check it out on youtube if it's available. Confident guy who just boldy says "I can't WAIT to get there and get started". Love that guy), and the Blazers are going to absolutely destroy everyone in the league for the next 10 years. What a draft."

Running of the Bulls is back in Spain

The running of the bulls is back and better than ever in Pamplona, Spain. During the first day of the running 13 people were injured. As the week moves on one can assume there will be more of the same.
Let the hilarity ensue!!

13 are injured in Pamplona's running of the bulls

Daredevils kicked off the running of the bulls Monday with a long, messy and particularly dangerous dash through the streets of Pamplona, with 13 people injured but none gored, officials said.

The half-mile sprint through cobblestone streets turned chaotic because the pack of six half-ton beasts became separated early in the route after plowing into a crowd of people, some of them spectators.

Some of the bulls fell and two ended up running on their own. One of those became disoriented, trying several times to turn around and go back toward the starting point. But herders waving sticks eventually guided it to the bull ring where the course ends.

Inside the ring one black bull fell down and stayed there for nearly a minute, as jubilant runners scampered about.

The Spanish Red Cross said 13 people were injured, with head, rib or other injuries from falling or getting trampled.

It said six were Spanish and the rest were from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Romania and South Korea. No names were given. The worst off was a 37-year-old Spaniard with fractured ribs and a ruptured spleen, the Red Cross said.

The whole run took just over four minutes, which is a bit slow by the standards of Pamplona's Fiesta de San Fermin, as the festival is known.

It was the first of eight scheduled runs. The most crowded ones will be next weekend, when the throngs of thrill-seekers will swell dramatically as people pour into Pamplona from out of town for two days of revelry and Adrenalin.

The fact that this year's festival began on a Monday meant a lighter turnout.

"There were a few tense moments, but I think everything went quite well. There were fewer people than at other times," said 29-year-old runner Aritz Lopez, from Bilbao.

Many of Monday's participants wore traditional white trousers and shirts and red kerchiefs around their necks. They carried rolled-up newspapers — a tool for gauging how far away a charging bull is.

Before the sprint, local runners paid tribute to a beloved Pamplona native, Inaki Ochoa de Olza, a veteran mountain climber who died in the Himalayas in May. He also was a regular runner at San Fermin.

The running of the bulls became world famous with the publication of Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises" and also is known for its all-night street parties.

Since record-keeping began in 1924, 14 runners have died.

The last fatality from a goring was a 22-year-old American, Matthew Tassio, in 1995. In 2003, a 63-year-old Pamplona native, Fermin Etxeberri, was trampled in the head by a bull and died after spending several months in a coma.

On Sunday a young man died after falling 30 yards from an ancient wall that encircles the old quarter of Pamplona. Authorities identified him Monday as Aidan Holly, a 23-year-old from Ireland, and quoted friends as saying he had been drinking.

ND Hoops Update

As far as I'm concerned, it is NEVER too early to discuss Notre Dame basketball. I know football season is approaching, but let's get a little rundown of what has been going on lately in the world of ND hoops (don't worry ND football fans, there will be plenty for you in the near future).

First, congrats to Coach Brey on the new extension to 2014-15. I'll admit to being a Brey apologist, but I think we have the most underrated coach in the country. Brey is on the verge of doing big things at ND, and it's time to get on board and show him some support. I'm looking right at you, ND administration. Get the man the facilities that he deserves, and we might start seeing some blue chippers trickling into this program. It is borderline miraculous what he has been able to do in luring players to South Bend with the resources that he has had to work with. Brey is an asset to this university, and it is time for the school to start treating him that way.

Quick recruiting update - We've been on this Ryan Kelly kid for quite some time, and it looks like he's now emerging as a top 20 recruit. I'm sure that Duke and UNC will come calling, but it would be great to steal this guy out of their backyard.

Mild concern on the current roster. Carl Scott broke his foot, so I don't know where he will fit in this year. He probably isn't looking at huge minutes this year anyway with Hillesland and Ayers ahead of him, but I am hoping that he finds a niche on this team at some point. Just watching him in the warmups at the South Florida game, he's an impressive athlete. Probably the one guy on the team with game-changing athleticism.

Who is starting at the three and four now that Kurz is gone?? Will Ayers slide back in to the starting lineup or is there going to be some sort of "big" lineup with Hillesland and Zeller. Can Hillesland play the 4 if Ayers started at the 3?? Should Zeller be starting?? I'm not seeing that, but I also don't really like Zeller as a 6th man for this team. I'd almost say that I like Nash to become the new sixth man with Zeller also coming off the bench as a 3rd big man. Throw in Peoples as a 3rd guard and maybe Abro coming off the bench, and that's a decent bench.

Scheduling update - For years and years, ND fans have been complaining about the weak nonconference schedules that have hurt our RPIs and our NCAA chances/seeding, but things have taken a dramatic change for the better this year. In retrospect, I am ok with how the schedules have played out the last couple years. Brey was guiding younger teams in need of a confidence boost, so it made sense to get some wins under our belt before conference season. We started out a little slow last year with the losses to Baylor and Georgia Tech, so playing a bunch of tough OOC games could have put us in a serious hole.

With the veteran team returning, Brey and the boys have seriously amped up the schedule. I like the move. This team has been playing together for three years now, so we should be ready to go right out of the chute.

Quick rundown of some of the scheduled OOC games:

at Loyola Marymount -

A fairly interesting game before heading out to Maui for the Maui Invitational. Should be a good warmup for us to get ready for Maui, and it would be a decent RPI win in the weighted system for road games. Considering that we have had problems on the road in Big East play due to a lack of experience on the road, I like that we set this game up to get our feet wet away from home. It's been a few years since we played a mid-major on the road, so hopefully we are ready to play.

Maui Classic -

Obviously, this tournament is going to be a great experience for "our guys" (to borrow a Mike Brey phrase) with Alabama, Indiana, North Carolina, Oregon, Saint Joe, and Texas in the field. Wow, it would be great to make a run in Maui and prove that we are a legit top 5 team. Are we the second best team in this field?? UNC is going to be ridiculous this year, but we can beat everyone else. Would love to play UNC in the final.

Ohio State - Color me fired up!! Just mark your calendars now for that December 6 doubleheader with ND-OSU and IU-Gonzaga. WOW. We might have to get a weisnd.blogspot.com road trip together for that one. I'm definitely getting tickets. Looking forward to seeing Lucas Oil Stadium in person.

OSU should be a great matchup for us.

Freshman point guard - Crater

Freshman center - Mullens

Freshman wing - Buford

6'4 power forward who has the body of a shooting guard - Lighty

sophomore shooting guard - Turner

Harangody is going to score 35 against Ohio State, and Tory/KMac should light them up. With our experience, we should be able to win this game comfortably. Good game for RPI purposes.

UCLA -

WOW. Probably the marquee game on the schedule. 3 straight Final Fours on their resume, so it could be a tough task to go to Pauley Paviloion and beat the Bruins. A win here would be unreal and probably put us into the #1/#2 seed conversation.

Conference schedule:

Connecticut

Louisville

St. John's

Georgetown

Marquette

Rutgers

Seton Hall

South Florida

Villanova

at Connecticut

at Louisville

at St. John's

at Cincinnati

at DePaul

at Pittsburgh

at Providence

at Syracuse

at West Virginia

Looks like we have "two fer" games with UConn, Louisville, and St. Johns. The Big East didn't do us any favors this year. Not an easy slate by any stretch, and Brey mentioned in the South Bend Tribune that we have an "A" schedule this year. I guess you had to figure it was coming with all of our success the last couple years. It'll be interesting to see if we can break the Big East consecutive home wins record. Gtown, Louisville, and Connecticut look like our toughest home games this year.

Bottom line, the schedule is going to be much tougher this year, but it will work out really well for us if we are as good as we are all hoping. If we do well in Maui, play UCLA tough, win the other games and put together a 13-5 type year in the Big East, we are in great shape for a really high seed. I won't even broach the #1 seed talk at this point, but it is fun to think about.

Now is the time to get on board with ND basketball. If you wait any longer, you're missing out. This program is set up for a Sweet 16 (and beyond??) type run this year, and there looks to be very little drop off with Hansbrough and Martin coming in for 2009 to go with Harangody. and Tory Jackson.

The Brew Crew is All-In

STOP THE PRESSES!! Milwaukee fans, put down that brat and the High Life and listen up!! Your team just pushed all its chips in the center of the table. CC Sabathia, reigning Cy Young award winner in the AL is headed to join the Bernie and the Boys for a run at the NL Central, and perhaps beyond.

Couldn't be more excited about this deal - as an apologist of the Senior Circuit, it warms my heart to see an NL team on the verge of making some noise suddenly become a dark horse World Series pick. The Brewers have plenty of offensive firepower, and now can trot out a 1-2 punch of Sabathia and Sheets (if he can stay healthy - knock on wood). That's a pretty potent combo in a short series. Arizona won a World Series with that formula.

Also, as a Chicago resident, things were starting to get a little too warm and fuzzy around here. I will admit to agreeing that the buzz around the city can be fun with a contending baseball team (or even two, as appears to be the case this year). But watching the Cubs threaten to run away with a division crown and receive the title "Most Dangerous Team in the NL" just doesn't fit right with this guy. Cub fans are much more tolerable when they're miserable about something. Now I can be treated to a few weeks of grumbling about why Hendry didn't make a play for CC (he didn't have the prospects) and legitimate fear of being overrun in the division (a definitely possibility at this point).

As for the Tribe, I must admit I was a bit surprised to see them pull the trigger on this deal so soon. But taking a little closer look at the deal, its clear that there were several issues driving Shapiro towards closing this out:

1. The Brewers represented a very attractive trading partner - good farm system, including guys at positions of need for the Indians (i.e. LaPorta, the sure-fire, can't-miss corner OF with pop that the Indians have been missing since Manny was being Manny at the Jake).

2. Rumblings around baseball seemed to indicate some of the bigger boys - the Red Sox, the Yankees - were going to sit this one out. Sure, they might end up signing CC next year, but they weren't going to give up their prospects to get him.

3. Because of the Brewers ability to negotiate from a position of strength, they could afford to make a reasonable trade offer, and demand a quick answer. Apparently one of the driving forces behind this deal was Milwaukee's desire to get CC some starts in the NL before the AS break. They made a showcase deal that included a great prospect - LaPorta - and made it clear that their other studs (including Alcides Escobar) were not going to be involved. The Indians could pick and choose from A-ball guys but be happy they were getting a sure thing in return.

Bottom line, although the Brewers come up smelling like roses in this deal (acquiring a Cy Young winner in his prime for a playoff run, hold on to most of their best young'uns, and receive compensatory picks should CC walk in '09), the Indians get a guy in LaPorta who will likely be battling for a starting corner OF job as early as September of this year. Due to CC's contract situation and the lack of big names involved in the bidding, this may have been as good as it got.

In any event, the NL Central becomes one of the better stories for the 2nd half of the season. I'm sure all of Brewers Nation has July 28 circled on their calendars - the Cubbies come to town for a 4-game set, perhaps with 1st place on the line. And let's not forget - bringing CC to Milwaukee gives the Brew Crew two guys in the lineup over 3-bills!! The buffet table won't know what hit it.

Federer v. Nadal

There are a lot of things I'm excited about this weekend. America. The Sixers making Josh Smith an offer he can't refuse. Hitting the links on Saturday. But nothing tops the expected King Federer - Rafa showdown on Sunday morning. I'm already giddy in anticipation of Breakfast at Wimbledon. I can't wait to hear an Enberg Essay on how dominant these two players have become. And I can't wait to see Roger silence the doubters and maybe, if he's feeling feisty, ask Djokovic how he has enjoyed his fortnight (I REALLY wanted to get in the use of fortnight in this post).

AMERICA

If tomorrow all the things were gone,
I’d worked for all my life.
And I had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.

I’d thank my lucky stars,
to be livin here today.
‘ Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota,
to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea.

From Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart,
and its time we stand and say.

That I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

And I’m proud to be and American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

BROOMS

Are the Rays the best team in baseball?? At this point, would anyone be that shocked to see them on the short list of World Series contenders??

Dickie V says Scott Kazmir is the best pitcher in baseball. I'm not even sure I disagree with that statement. You could argue that James Shields is as good a #2 as anyone in the game. With their rotation and a potent lineup, they have the type of team that is built for a short series.

What do you think??

What's in a tier??

As the ten people who actually read this blog are well aware, there's been a lot of consternation in recent years about the future of Notre Dame's football schedule. If you care about seeing legendary games along the lines of 1988 Notre Dame-Miami and 1993 Notre Dame-Florida State ever again in Notre Dame Stadium, you are probably as concerned as I am about the recent changes to ND's football schedules.

We'll get into some other thoughts in a minute on ND's schedule, but I wanted to address this recent "tiers" discussion that has been going on the last couple weeks over on NDNation.com. As an ND fan and alum, I appreciate their efforts to bring the issues regarding ND's decision to lighten the schedule to the forefront for discussion, but I think that the recent "tiers" stuff is a classic case of overanalysis. Everyone is trotting out various models (4-4-4 vs. 3-6-3) for schedules and throwing out formulas for which teams are "tier one" programs and which teams are "upper tier two" programs and whether a team belongs in "tier two" or "tier three." While I enjoy the discussions of whether Cal is a "tier one" football program, is that really the point here?? It seems like the topic has veered off course a little bit.

For the record, I'm as hot and bothered about the proposed changes to ND's scheduling philosophy as anyone. The fact that Kevin White and John Heisler were out there openly turning down home and home matchups with Alabama and Georgia because of a prevoius commitment with UConn still bugs me to this day. The powers that be at ND have been preaching the "no new heavyweights" mantra and are demanding to play our road games in pro stadiums. If these proposed schedules are the ones that we'll be seeing for the next decade, then my interest in Notre Dame football will significantly decline. I'll still watch the games on tv, but it's going to be tough to get me excited to go up to South Bend for that proposed 2010 home schedule. Can't wait for that 5 week stretch of Army, Navy, "Buy game" (read: Duke), Rutgers, "Buy game" (read: UConn). We've basically formed the Notre Dame football conference for future opponents: Navy, Stanford, Purdue, MSU, USC, UConn, Michigan, Pitt, BC, and Army. What a league!! Ugh.

ND is a legendary program because we have always had the attitude that we will play "anyone, anywhere." Now, it is Pete Carroll and USC who are telling the world that they'll play "anyone, anytime, anywhere." Anyone who roots for ND and cares about our legacy in the college football world should be concerned about the decision of the athletic department to dumb down the schedule in the name of revenue generation and an easier path to the national championship. Kevin White's version of "anytime, anywhere" was to play Baylor in Dallas and UConn in East Rutherford. Whoopee. That's not the Notre Dame way, and fans don't want to play a soft schedule. I don't want to take the West Virginia route to get to the BCS.

NDNation has done a great job in the last year or two driving home this point, but I don't agree with the idea that we need to follow a particular formula for setting up the schedule. I'd prefer to use a different term: the smell test. Does our football schedule pass the "smell test"?? If you look at our schedule, does it look like a quality schedule?? Do other college football fans (i.e. SEC fans) respect our schedules?? I don't need categories or formulas. I just want to look at the schedule and see interesting games, big matchups, good balance, and some potentially good road trips. I'd like to see games against teams from all different conferences, and games in different regions of the country. I don't care whether Texas A&M or UCLA are tier one teams or tier two teams. Both those teams would be interesting and exciting opponents for a home and home series, and it doesn't matter to me whether they fit some predetermined quota for "tier one" teams.

Our athletic department has made a conscious effort to avoid seeking out games like the ones mentioned above, and that's the most important issue. I don't care whether we play 4 tier one teams or 3 tier one teams. The bottom line is that Notre Dame's future schedules are not up to par with past schedules, and let's focus on doing what we can to get more quality games on the schedule.

Some other thoughts on the ND schedule while we're here:

The SEC -

Here is a list of all the SEC teams we're scheduled to play in the next ten years:










Yup, NONE. What the heck happened to SEC teams?? Why don't we schedule them anymore?? We can line up a 10 year deal with UConn but can't find some room for Alabama or Florida?? We have Nick Saban practically begging us for a game, and we're telling him that we have a "no new heavyweights" policy?? WHAT ARE WE DOING??

And to make matters worse, word has come out that Georgia asked us about a home and home series, and we asked to play the "road" game in Atlanta instead of on Georgia's campus. Are you kidding me?? It's flat out insulting for us to ask someone like Georgia to play their home game in Atlanta. Did Kevin White miss the memo that Georgia is in the top 5 this year?? Same would go for asking Texas to play their "home" game in Dallas instead of Austin. Those schools are every bit as big as us in terms of negotiating clout, so it's ridiculous to think that they wouldn't expect a home game out of the deal. It's just a terrible way to come to the negotating table. White was giving out terms that no reasonable program would agree to and then not budging on it. It's not a coincidence that Kevin White wasn't able to land big names on the future schedules when he was taking that style of negotiation. Georgia called us about a deal, and we couldn't get it done. Based upon all the other evidence of White's scheduling philosophy, I find it hard to believe that Georgia was the problem in that negotiation.

If we're not going to play the SEC, at least give me a game like Clemson or Virginia Tech or somebody like that. Or how about a lesser SEC team like South Carolina or Arkansas?? Is this so hard?? What happened to getting some big home games on the schedule?? Who the heck is going to attend these November games against UConn and Army and Baylor?? Does ND really think we're going to want to go to those games??

No New Heavyweights


It's never a good sign when your athletic director is openly telling the world that we don't want to play any more "heavyweights." For you fans of the tier system, he's talking about big games. Marquee games. Games against teams like Texas and Alabama and Florida and Auburn and Nebraska. Games that make you pump your fist when they are announced. Games that you are so excited about that you have trouble sleeping the night before the game. Those kinds of games.

I like playing USC and Michigan every year, but I'd like to add one more "big name" team to the schedule for a home and home series every year. You could usually guarantee an LSU or Tennessee type game on the schedule, or maybe someone like Florida State. It gives us a little variety, and I like taking road trips to places like Tennessee, LSU, Bama, Texas, etc. The SEC teams are playing 4-5 powerhouse teams a year, so I don't see why we can't get 3 good games on our schedule. I think we should have at least one big time SEC or big time Big 12 team (or Miami/FSU) on the schedule every year. I'm not asking for 10 top 10 teams a year. Just one. There is some clamoring for four tier one games a year, but I think four is unnecessary. If you add one big time game and make other adjustments (which we'll get to), that type of schedule would be plenty tough. We supposedly have added Oklahoma for 2012 and 2013 (no contract signed yet), so it would be nice to build on that momentum.

It's more of an attitude than anything. With USC,you know they probably would play anyone, anwhere, and at least they are trying to put together the best schedule that they can. With our AD, we have an attitude like "well we don't really want to play too many road games and we don't want too many heavyweights, so we lined up November games with Baylor and Army....enjoy!!" It just doesn't fly with me.

Road Trips

What is going to be the big "road trip" for the students these days like we had with Nebraska and Tennessee and FSU and other games?? A trip to Foxboro for freaking UConn?? I'm pretty sure that won't match up to watching ND march into the home of the #1 ranked team in America with 80,000 cornfed Husker fans cheering them on. And I don't think that going to see ND-Baylor in Dallas will live up to the pandemonium of walking out of a completely silent Neyland Stadium singing the ND fight song after shocking the world in 2004.

Could you imagine being an ND student in 2008?? No SYRs, no underage bars, no tailgating, Reslife breathing down everyone's neck, now no good road trips for football games because our athletic department is afraid to schedule some good teams. Good god, I'm pretty sure I would be filling out my transfer paperwork within a few months.

7-4-1

Probably the three most infamous numbers these days in Notre Dame sports. After the recent NBC contract extension (which is a great thing for ND football as far as I'm concerned), it pretty much confirmed the long-rumored 7 home games-4 road games-1 neutral site game formula as our scheduling policy through 2015. NBC wants a night game, so we are giving them a night game on a neutral field (brief comment---why is ND so afraid of having a night home game?? God forbid we actually have an intimidating home environment for a change).

Honestly, I don't have a huge problem with this 7-4-1 setup in some ways, but it doesn't work with all of our other obligations. With our 3 game commitment to the Big East, the 3 "rivalry" games (USC, Navy, Michigan), and the inexplicable long term commitments to Purdue, Michigan State, and Stanford, there's no room for any other home and home matchups. If we are only playing 4 road games a year, they are already used up with those previous commitments. So if you are looking to see a home and home with Alabama or Texas or Miami, there's no room now that ND has boxed itself in with the 7-4-1 policy and all the other commitments.

The 7-4-1 can work as a model for scheduling if we need the revenue and want to keep pace with other schools who are playing 7-8 home games a year, but we need to make some changes if we're going to see the variety on our schedules that the fans want to see. One obvious solution would be to cut down or rearrange some of those long term partners. Let's address those one at a time.

Stanford

Of all the schools who are permanent or semi-permanent on our schedule, the one that makes the least amount of sense is Stanford. Do you all realize that ND has played Stanford for the last 12 straight years and 19 of the last 21 years with no end in sight?? Why is Stanford a permanent fixture on our schedule?? How did this happen?? I don't get it. Unless we're talking about the greatest golfer of all-time, what is even remotely interesting about Stanford athletics??

Stanford football is just plain lousy. Other than the 2005 comeback win at Stanford, I can't think of one highly anticipated game with them in the entire history of the series, and yet we play them every single year. I don't see what they bring to the table, and I definitely don't see the need to play them every year. I know that we like to play a game out west every year and need a west coast opponent when we play USC at home, but is Stanford the only option?? Why?? It's not like there are a ton of ND alums in the Bay Area (the game at Stanford never seems to be sold out), and it's not really a hot bed for recruiting talent. Why not mix it up with some other schools and use the west coast road trip to visit some other parts of the west??

If I was in charge of scheduling, the first thing I would do is announce that the series with Stanford has been reduced from a yearly event to a rotation with other Pac 10 teams. Move Stanford into a rotation with Cal, UCLA, Arizona State, Oregon, and Washington. If we replaced Stanford with a home and home with Oregon, that would be a HUGE upgrade to the schedule alone. Adding Oregon to our home schedule would be a unique game that would generate excitement, and the return road trip out to Eugene would be entertaining. I refuse to believe all the hype about the "intimidating" atmosphere at Autzen Stadium, but I'd love to head out there to check it out and see for myself. Moving Stanford into a rotation with other Pac 10 schools is an obvious solution to the limitations of the 7-4-1. Honestly, that move alone would make our schedules much more interesting.

Purdue and Michigan State

While I do have an interest in playing Purdue and Michigan State on a regular basis, I'd like to see a couple changes in our relationship with them. Personally, I'd like to see us occasionally take Purdue and Michigan State off the schedule for the purposes of opening up a spot for a big home and home game with someone like Texas. We're using all our good early season spots (when conference teams are playing their nonconference schedules) on Purdue and Michigan State. If we want to get some big games on the schedule, we need to open up spots for them early in the year.

Another option would be to demand that these teams play us in November or we move on to someone else. We absolutely NEED good opponents in November. I know I keep harping on this, but you cannot close your season with Navy, Army, Rutgers, Duke, Pitt, Stanford. If we are going to be playing those types of schedules down the stretch, we are going to get crucified by the national media.

We're just asking to have the ESPN hacks all over our backs as soon as these schedules become public. The last thing I want is to see a 12-0 ND team get dropped in the polls in a couple years because our schedule wasn't good enough. And if people don't think we will get screwed by those types of schedules, they're kidding themselves. You can't trot out that kind of schedule and expect anyone to take you seriously, especially when we aren't in a conference and don't have conference championship games or anything like that.

So if we want to beef up that November schedule, it makes a lot of sense to ask Purdue/MSU to move some games there. If they don't want to do it, move on to someone else.

The Big East

The Big East takes a lot of flak from ND fans, but I don't have any problem with playing 3 Big East teams a year. The Big East has been great for the hoops program, and I like the idea of showing loyalty to our partners in the Big East by making the commitment to play them in 3 games. The Big East is a good league. They don't have the powerhouse teams (LSU, USC, Michigan, Texas type games), but just about everyone in the league is a solid middle tier game. A lot of the Big East teams (UConn, South Florida, Louisville, Cincy) are up and coming programs, so some of those games could turn out to be barnburners. We could line up home and homes with Rutgers, Pitt, WVU, South Florida, Cincy, Louisville, and UConn, and they would be good additions to the schedule. There is no difference between playing those teams and the Purdue/MSU type teams. 3 Big East teams a year is fine with me. I also like that they are willing to play us in November.

Heck, I would be ok with a 10 year deal with UConn if we were simultaneously working on some home and homes with Georgia, Texas, Florida, etc. But Kevin White tried to set up schedules so that UConn is potentially going to be one of our "big" games, which is absolutely comical. It is a big game compared to Baylor and Duke, but not against our historical standards of scheduling. And if we can't get games with Georgia or Texas, then go get the next best thing and line up some games with Clemson, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Oklahoma State, Cal, Arizona State, and UCLA type teams. Not all of them, but maybe a couple. If we struck a deal to play at Arkansas in October and then Clemson at home in November and then reversed them the following year, I would be very pleased and very excited. It's certainly better than building a November schedule of Navy, Baylor, UConn, Rutgers, Stanford and expecting to get any respect out there. The 2010 schedule has consecutive games against Army, Navy, "Buy Game" (UConn), Rutgers,"Buy Game" (Baylor/Duke??), and then USC. You gotta be kidding me. That's a borderline MAC schedule until the SC game.

The neutral site game

Of all the games announced in recent months, it seems like the one game that has bothered ND fans the most has been these neutral site games. To be perfectly honest, I like the neutral site games and think they add intrigue to the schedule. The two games that have been announced (Washington State in San Antonio in 2009 and Arizona State in Dallas in 2013) are fairly solid games against respectable Pac 10 teams. The ASU game in the new Cowboys Stadium should be a doozy now that Dennis Erickson is running the show in Tempe.


With that said, I am concerned about some of the other proposed games. Other than the two announced games, it that all the other proposed neutral site games involve Army and Baylor. Considering that we are already facing the possibility of having to schedule 2-3 "buy games" at home every year, why are we also setting up neutral games with Army and Baylor?? We don't need that many weak games on the schedule. If we're not going to schedule someone decent like ASU, why not use that neutral site game to take care of one of our other commitments (Big East team or Navy)?? If we played Navy in the neutral site venue, we could use their spot to get a home and home series with someone else. If we played South Florida in New Orleans instead of Baylor, there's another option for freeing up room on the schedule. When John Heisler is saying "we don't have room for anyone else," he's being disingenuous. We don't have room for anyone else because we've chosen to box ourselves in. If we were thinking creatively, we could have the neutral site game and the 7-4-1 arrangement and still have a quality schedule.

Michigan, Navy, USC

As far as I'm concerned, these games are the cornerstones of our schedule and should always be on there. We have 3 locks and the other 9 should be at our discretion. Start the year with Michigan, USC, and Navy in pen, and then get working on 9 interesting games from there.

The way our schedule is shaping up in the future, it is actually going to be among the weaker schedules in the country. I don't like that at all. 7 home games, only 2 big games, one neutral game against a Baylor type opponent, and 4 road games. That's WEAK and going too far in the other direction. No one is going to remember another ND-Baylor game, but we will all remember an ND-Texas game. Isn't that what college football is all about?? I know we want to get to the title game, but isn't there something to be said for the journey?? Won't it be more satisfying knowing that you took on the best and beat the best?? I'm not asking for 5 huge games a year. I just want to see three. Right now, we only have 2. That's not good enough.

Proposals:

Just looking at the 2010 schedule, it would be so easy to tweak this:

Current 2010
S04 PURDUE
S11 MICHIGAN
S18 at Michigan State
S25 STANFORD
O02 at Boston College
O09 PITTSBURGH
O16 vs. Army (Chicago)
O23 vs. Navy (Baltimore)
N07 **BUY GAME**
N13 RUTGERS (tentative)
N20 **BUY GAME**
N27 at USC

A proposed 2010 schedule incorporating some ideas discussed earlier:

S04 PURDUE
S11 MICHIGAN
S18 PITTSBURGH
S25 at Boston College
O02 STANFORD
O09 NAVY (Orlando)
O16 at Arkansas
O23 RUTGERS
N07 at Michigan State
N13 CLEMSON
N20 UCONN
N27 at USC

Move Navy to the neutral site, push MSU toward the end to get better November games, sign up a home and home with Arkansas and Clemson for late in the year, and sprinkle in the Big East games to balance things out. Our schedule suddenly would have 6 good games to end the year, and we can get some major respect from the pollsters.

Same for 2011:

Current 2011

S03 at Purdue
S10 at Michigan
S17 MICHIGAN STATE
S24 at Pittsburgh
O01 SOUTH FLORIDA
O08 **BUY GAME**
O15 vs. Army (Orlando)
O22 USC
O29 RUTGERS/NAVY (resolve conflict)
N05 CONNECTICUT
N12 **BUY GAME**
N26 at Stanford

My proposed 2011 schedule

S03 ARMY
S10 at Michigan
S17 MICHIGAN STATE
S24 at Pittsburgh
O01 SOUTH FLORIDA
O08 at Clemson
O15 CONNECTICUT (Foxboro)
O22 USC
O29 NAVY
N05 at Purdue
N12 ARKANSAS
N26 at Stanford

Move Army to the first game, move Purdue to the end, add Arkansas as another good home game. Good balance in all three months.

If you want to get an additional heavyweight into the mix, how about these two sample schedules??

Rice
Michigan
Syracuse
@ South Carolina
Stanford
@ Maryland
bye
Texas
@ Pitt
Connecticut (neutral-Meadowlands)
@ Navy
Michigan State
@ USC

3 power games (USC, Michigan, Texas), 4 weak teams (Rice, Syracuse, UConn, Navy), and 5 mid-level teams (USF, Maryland, Arkansas, Pitt, MSU,Stanford). 2 HUGE home games with Michigan and Texas.

Duke
@ Michigan
Clemson
Purdue
@ Syracuse
BYU
bye
USC
Navy
Louisville (neutral - Orlando)
@ Alabama
Rutgers
@ Cal

3 power games (Bama, Michigan, USC), 3 weaker games (Navy, Syracuse,Duke), 6 mid-level games (BYU, Purdue, Rutgers, Louisville, Clemson,Cal). There are two legitimately good homes games there (Clemson and USC). Plus, the added bonus of an awesome road trip to Tuscaloosa.

Isn't that infinitely more exciting than the currently planned schedules?? That's just the tip of the iceberg. We can use our 3 rivalries, 3 Big East games, and then have fun setting up the next six. If you move Big East games and/or Navy to the neutral site and occasionally drop or move Purdue/MSU, you can even accomplish these schedules under the 7-4-1 format.

Get it done. Don't know how Kevin White couldn't figure this out.

To conclude, I'll finish with ND's football schedule in 1988 (our last national championship) with their AP ranking when we played them

MICHIGAN (#9)
@ Michigan State
Purdue
Stanford
@ Pittsburgh
Miami (#1)
Air Force
@ Navy (neutral)
Rice
Penn State
@ USC (#2)

Isn't that the type of schedule we're talking about?? 4 traditional powers (Michigan, Penn State, USC, Miami), 3 cupcakes (Air Force, Navy, Rice), and 4 mid-tier teams (MSU, Purdue, Stanford, Pittsburgh). 2 huge and memorable home games (Miami and Michigan). Keep in mind that it was an 11 game schedule. I imagine that we probably would have added another mid-tier team if it was a 12 game schedule. In other words, it's just about perfect in terms of what the fans want.

Sometimes the easiest thing to do is look into your past to find the answers.

Mustache, God Bless You

Having just rejoined the fraternity of proud Mustachios.
I would like to take a minute of your time to revisit some of the better mustaches from our favorite and sometime unfavored athletes from the sports world. Let first tackle the best mustache floating around the MLB.
Jason Giambi has a stache that would make former Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly give a silent nod in affirmation. What can one say about this soup stainer? If you want to get out of a slump or go on a hot streak you grow a mustache. Giambi saw his average drop to a paultry .191 that was almost Andruw Jones esque. Fate stepped in, in the form of outfielder and teammate Johnny Damon. Damon trying to break up the monotony of the season convinced Giambi to grow a Lady Tickler. The Gold Thong didnt work but this seams to be the ticket. Giambi has raised his average 80 points to a respectable .264 with 17 HR and a .945 OPS. This all could be just lip service or the fur above the lip? You Decide? I for one beleive in the power of the mustache.

Of course the mustache is not just relagated to the Baseball Diamond.
The NFL quarteback has had a rich history of nose neighbors. Jake Plummer pulled this doozy while throwing left handed interceptions for the Broncos. But Jake was one of many great 'staches. Jeff George had a fanny duster that was 70's porno eque. One of the best is fronted by Broadway Joe. When he wasn't wearing pantyhose or asking to kiss Suzy Kolber he was rocking this gem. Maybe if he still had his Upper Lip Deal Sealer, Ole Suz would have given him a Monday Night rub and tug.

But there are the few failure out there in the sports world that bring down the awesomeness curve. Case and point Lionel Tyrone Willingham. This is a man that exudes mediocrity and tries to hide it behind stoic stares and nonsensical quips to the media that answer no questions at all. Willingham has made efforts to quell this mustache farce. He has been seen sporting a full goatee. An obvious attempt to thwart his downward spiral at Washington and save his job long enough to get back out on the Links. Word on the street is that Mustaches cure slices and lower your handicap by at least 10 points.

And to close out this diatribe on the Mustache I would like to show off a few more legendary 'staches. The clueless stanger, the gentleman caller and for no good reason not Joe Tiller.

Is there a Draft in here?

Always fun to get a little NBA Draft talk going. One of my favorite events of the year. Looking forward to tonight's festivities.

While I love the draft, I find the Draft coverage to sometimes be less than satisfying. Right around this time of the year, we start getting bombarded with various mock drafts on websites and our local newspaper. Am I the only one who doesn't understand the love affair with mock drafts?? What is the point of doing a mock NBA Draft when there are probably going to be 4-5 trades within first 15 picks?? Isn't the NBA Draft more about the players than it is about the teams?? I'm more intrigued by players and and comparing them to former NBA guys and trying to figure out how they are going to fit into the league during their careers. I'd rather just read Chad Ford's unplugged takes on various draft prospects than whether he thinks the Sonics are going to take Brook Lopez or Russell Westbrook. Plus, I'm more of a college guy than an NBA guy, so I'd rather hear about the players than the teams.

So in the spirit of that idea, I figured that I would just throw out some thoughts on the 2008 draft class.

Derrick Rose - In my mind, the only picks tonight where the team is more intriguing than the players are the Bulls and the Knicks. More importantly, assuming that the Bulls draft Derrick Rose tonight, does that pick make the Bulls the team to beat for the next decade in the East?? Do they need to do anything else or can they just ride a core of Rose, Gordon, Deng, Nocioni, Noah, Ty Thomas to the Finals?? Are the Bulls going to trade Hinrich?? I love the Rose pick for the Bulls, but I'm not sure where this move ultimately takes them. It definitely makes them a contender, but do they need anything else?? Seems like they need to package some things together to get a low post scorer.

Michael Beasley - Here was Matt's take on Michael Beasley:

"He seems like the guy who is putting up 20 and 10 for a team that is going 24-58"

Doesn't that pretty much sum up everyone's feelings on Michael Beasley?? Isn't that exactly why Pat Riley wants no part of Michael Beasley?? Beasley would have been a perfect fit in the late 90s when all these "stats first" type guys were going in the top 5. I know Beasley has the physical skills (and admittedly Beasley is a rebounding machine and finishes well around the bucket) to put up numbers in the league, but I can't see making that guy the face of my franchise. Nothing about him screams out "winner" to me, and isn't that what it's all about??Beasley has been pointing out that the "bad character" label is unfair, but haven't we seen so many Michael Beasleys in the past that we kind of know what to expect out of this guy?? He's only 19 years old, and he was already showing visible signs of the typical "bad character" guy during the college season. Sullen demeanor, gets upset at his teammates, lazy approach to defense. He's one of those guys who will be spending the next ten years playing for contracts. That's not the kind of guy I would want on my team.

OJ Mayo - Probably the most controversial player in the draft, and the one player that everyone disagrees on. Some people love him and insist that he's a star in the making, and other people aren't high on him at all. I'm officially torn on OJ Mayo. My first instinct on OJ Mayo was that he's inherently a selfish player and not a natural point guard. I had him pegged for the Steve Francis/Stephon Marbury/Dejuan Wanger/Larry Hughes category of shoot first guys that put up stats but don't make their teammates better and ultimately don't play for winning teams.

Starting to come around on him a little bit though. The talk from people who know the game would be to put him in this "super two" position where he can be a playmaker from the wing and get to the bucket, shoot from the perimeter, and lock people up. That seems like a potentially great fit for his game.

I'm admittedly a little biased against OJ Mayo from knowing too much about his history in high school in Cincinnati and all the shady stuff he has pulled, so I'm not inclined to root for OJ Mayo in the league. I could see him being successful from a pure basketball standpoint, but it would be one of those Stackhouse/Spreewell type careers where he bounces around the league putting up numbers and then eventually falls into a key role on a good team. That would be a good career for Mayo, but would that be a good scenario for the T-wolves picking at #3?? He doesn't seem like he's going to be one of those "12 year career with the same team" kinda guys, which is one of the biggest reasons why I'd shy away from him. If you're the Wolves (or even Seattle/OKC), aren't you looking for a long term guy with your #3/#4 pick?? Simmons and Chad Ford love him for Seattle, but is OJ Mayo going to be able to deal with not being the man there?? Plus, with all his handlers and posse members, you just KNOW that OJ Mayo is going to break the record for most "NBA player wants a new contract" Sportscenter stories. I'd put the over/under on his career at 75,000 "OJ Mayo wants a new deal" or "OJ Mayo unhappy with his contract" lead headlines on ESPN.com. I'm already dreading the idea of seeing those stories, and it hasn't even happened yet!! I agree that Mayo might be the most talented player in the draft, but I just wouldn't want any part of drafting him.

Kevin Love - Here's another guy who is sparking a considerable amount of debate among basketball fans. I'll be the first to admit that white big men usually get a "guilty until proven innocent" reaction out of me. My first instinct with all white big men is that they are a bust unless they prove to me that they are for real. How many white big men get drafted in the lottery every year?? At least 1 or 2, right?? And how many of those guys have actually panned out?? Maybe a half dozen at the most?? Go through some of the names. Spencer Hawes, Luke Jackson, Robert Swift, Kris Humphries (I'm counting him as white), Nick Collison, Michael Bradley, Chris Mihm, Joel Przybilla, Jason Collier and on and on. The white big man has like a 90% bust rate. It's one of the safest bet in sports.

If that's what we're working with here, why do I like Kevin Love?? Not sure. He just seems like a different brand than your typical stiff white big man who comes out of college with like two basic skills (rebound, layups). Love has all kinds of abilities. He can shoot from the perimeter, he has moves in the low post, he crashes the boards like crazy, he's an elite passer for a big man, and he has a high basketball IQ. Matt started throwing out the "white Elton Brand" talk, which could be a good comparison.

I'm a little concerned that Love got neutralized by Joey Dorsey in the Final Four game, but I'd rather have him over a lot of guys in this draft. You know that you're a getting a productive player. There are a lot of busts out there this year, so give me a Brad Miller type player in the late part of the top 10.

Eric Gordon - Now would be a great time to bring in Ravi for a 5,000 word post on Eric Gordon followed by two walks around the block, but I'll just shoot from the hip here. If you look up his comparisons, the names "Mitch Richmond" and "rich man's Ben Gordon" are what you'll see. Interesting.

I agree with Ravi and others that Gordon is going to score points in the NBA. He doesn't look like a freak athlete, but you could make a case that he is. He just finds ways to bulldoze into the lane and draw contact (often finding a way to finish on the way to the free throw line).

My biggest concern about Gordon is that he doesn't have a natural position in the NBA. Can he play the point?? He had the ball in his hands a lot last year, but it wasn't like he was in charge of getting the team into the offense. He's probably not a 1, but can he be a 2?? Is Gordon going to be able to guard 2 guards at 6'3"? I'm a little concerned about that.

Can't get myself to pull the trigger either way on Gordon. I see him putting up numbers, but I don't see him as a franchise guy. This draft is nuts. I could go either way on just about every guy.


Brook Lopez - Keeping with the theme of the draft, some people love this guy (Jay Bilas), and other do not like him at all (Chad Ford apparently). I can't get excited about Brook Lopez. Maybe he'll turn out to be a nice player, but he's a Stanford guy! Cmon, you KNOW he's soft and that he's going to get abused defensively. Even if he turns out ok, Lopez isn't making your team any better. He's just a pick for the sake of taking a pick. Honestly, I actually like the other Lopez (Robin) a little more in some ways. He'll be an Anderson Varejao energy guy in the league. He's not as polished, but I could see him being one of those guys who comes off the bench for a good team to give them boards and putbacks.

The Kansas guys (Arthur, Chalmers, Rush) - Figured I would address all the Kansas guys collectively since they have always sort of been synonomous with one another. I personally like Brandon Rush the most out of the three, and I would love to see him fall to the Cavs in this draft. As long as he has his head on straight, he seems like a perfect fit for the new NBA - someone who can hit shots, run the floor, and lock people up. He seems like one of those Ron Harper type guys who will be a good fit on the wing.

I agree with Simmons on Chalmers. I like Chalmers, but not in the lottery. Isn't he your classic tweener?? Those guys rarely go on to flourish in the NBA. If you're going to be an NBA point guard, you better be a great ballhandler. He doesn't fit in that category for me.

Don't like Arthur at all. Just go back and look at his scoring numbers in the NCAAs, and that's all you need to know. 17, 9, 7, 7, 6, 20. When he brings it, he can be a stud. But if a guy is inconsistent in college, what do you think he's going to be in the NBA when he's making big dollars?? I wouldn't touch him.

Roy Hibbert - As a Big East fan, I feel like I had a lot of opportunities to watch Roy Hibbert play through the years. I watched him dominate Notre Dame many times, and he did have a good career at Georgetown. But do I like him as an NBA prospect?? Ehh.

To be honest, I liked him more last year than I do this year. It seemed like he regressed or something this year. Hibbert has some qualities that you like (pretty good halfcourt defender, good low post moves, great size, intelligent), but he's a stiff!! He has practically zero athleticism. If he was white, he'd be a 2nd rounder. People are romanticizing Roy Hibbert a little bit because he's a Georgetown center, but this guy is not Mourning or Ewing. He's not even Mutombo. Hibbert doesn't have the athleticism to be a good NBA rebounder, and he's not a good fit in the new up-tempo NBA.

People are talking about Hibbert for the Cavs, which makes absolutely no sense to me. Isn't his best case scenario to be another Zydrunas Ilgauskas?? Why do the Cavs want another Big Z?? I could understand taking Hibbert if the Cavs' only need was a backup center, but it's clearly not their only need. The Cavs need a complete overhaul of their backcourt, and taking Hibbert doesn't help them at all.

I think Hibbert has value in this draft and you obviously can't teach size, but I really don't see him as anything other than a backup center. That's not a bad piece to have, but I'm not that excited about Hibbert.

Joe Alexander - Bob Huggins apologist alert! I don't know what to make of Alexander as a pro prospect, but I do like that he spent a year working with Huggins. Huggins was probably a good fit for Alexander because he toughened him up and probably made him a better overall defender. If Alexander wants to succeed in the league, he'll need both those elements.

I watched Alexander probably 5-6 times last year and still don't know what to make of him. The first time I watched him was against ND last season, and I didn't like the guy at all. We totally took him out of the game, he was forcing up bad shots, and he seemed like sort of a selfish player. I sort of wrote him off until watching him late in the year. By then, he was like a completely different player. Suddenly, he was unguardable and could get his shot off from anywhere. I don't know if Alexander is for real, but check out his stats in his last 10 games or so last year. Pretty impressive.

Alexander is another one of those guys who I could go either way on. I feel like he'll probably be a bust or at least an overvalued player, but he has enough talent and production in his history to make me intrigued by him. And like it or not, Huggins has a pretty good track record of developing people into decent NBA players. The fact that Jason Maxiell is currently in the Pistons' 8 man rotation is remarkable to me. I felt like Maxiell could make it in the NBA, but it's still hard to believe that a 6'5" guy with no ballhandling skills is doing as well as he is.

Kosta Koufos - On a scale of 1 to 10 for biggest shockers, the sentence "Kosta Koufos is moving into lottery consideration" ranks at around a 60. I watched this guy for 30+ games last year, and I can tell you point blank that Kosta Koufos is not even close to ready for the NBA. I think he's got bust written all over him, but I'll give a fair breakdown of his game. Koufos has an array of post moves that can make him look impressive at times, but he's so soft that he's hardly ever in position to score down low. As soon as you put him up against the big guys in the Big 10, he'd shy away from the paint and rely on his perimeter game. For a guy with his size, it's remarkable that Koufos almost never got to the free throw line. Koufos is highly skilled, a good shooter, and actually not as bad a passer as people think he is (it doesn't help when no one can catch your passes), but I can't shake the fact that he's too much of a European style player to make it in the NBA. You gotta be able to defend a position in the league, and there isn't one that he will be able to defend at any point in his career.

He has upside, but I just don't see him as a "safe" lottery pick at all. His ceiling as an NBA player is probably as a Toni Kukoc type guy, but he also has major bust potential if he's too soft to hang in the league. I also wonder about his competitiveness in general. He has kind of a blank demeanor, and gives off a "need to get mine first" vibe on the court. Even though he was often the most skilled player on the court last year, he very rarely had much interest in dominating a game.

With that said, I think I'm a little harsh on him because I'm a Thad Matta fan and was a little stung that Koufos left early. I don't blame him for leaving one bit (what person is going to turn down millions of dollars??), but I would have loved to have seen him in a Buckeye uniform for another year.

In Koufos' defense, he really came on towards the end of the year and was arguably dominant in the NIT Tournament. If you look at some of his stats down the stretch, there is reason to think that he was starting to "get it" and use his size to score in bunches. Every time OSU needed a big bucket, he was knocking down a shot.

Chris Douglas-Roberts - You know who I like and I don't understand why he's so low: CHRIS DOUGLAS-ROBERTS!! I love CDR. I think he's the biggest steal in the draft. I don't care what his shooting stats are or his "measurables". He's one of those guys who just knows how to score and do things to help his team win and has a great basketball IQ. Rose was great, but CDR was always the guy who was quietly scoring points and getting boards for Memphis. Is there any doubt that he'll be a top 8 guy on agood team in 5 years?? I think he's going to have a Tayshaun Prince/Rip Hamilton type career. Maybe not quite that good, but a good player. I'd take him in the top 20 and feel great about it.

Sleepers - Donte Greene, Josh Duncan, DJ White - Just a quick comment on these guys. Greene got out of Syracuse at the right time as far as I'm concerned for one reason: no more Jim Boeheim. Jim Boeheim has quietly jumped the shark as a college coach, and it's becoming obvious that he really doesn't have the best system for making players better any more. The media hasn't caught onto the fact that teams routinely shred the "vaunted' Syracuse zone. The Syracuse style of basketball breeds laziness, and I think it actually would have hurt Greene to stick around at Syracuse. He definitely has some ability, and could be a big time sleeper in the Thaddeus Young mold. Get to the league and start learning how to play man to man defense. The NBA has become much more of a professional league in recent years in terms of guys playing hard and playing defense, and it wouldn't have benefited Greene to stick around in a program that doesn't teach those concepts any more.

I figure this blog has to throw in a plug for Cincinnati Moeller High School graduate and Xavier University graduate Josh Duncan. Xavier is a big man pipeline!! Brian Grant, David West, James Posey, Aaron Williams, Tyrone Hill. Pretty much every good forward to come out of Xavier has had a good NBA career. I think Duncan can make it in the NBA.

And call me a Big Ten homer (I swear, Steve Lavin and Brent Musberger are not ghost writing this post), but I also like DJ White as a second round sleeper. White is a competitor, and there's always a few underrated second round guys that stick around in the league. He's probably a little undersized, but half the battle in the NBA is just playing hard. If you give a darn, you'll probably turn out ok in the NBA. White plays hard and he's a good rebounder/interior scorer. He can have a decent career in the league if you ask me.

Ok, that's all I got. Enjoy the draft. Those mustard colored suits are always great.

The Future - Tommy Hanson!

It's shaping up to be a long summer for Braves fans, especially when the realization sinks in that the last act of John Montgomery Schuerholz was to trade away the farm for Mark Teixeira, who will not be leading the Braves to the playoffs as hoped. Despite the quest for .400 from Chipper and the All-Star season being put in by McCann, too many injuries have sabotaged this season. Well, that and the transformation of Jeff Francouer into Jason Michaels.



But the future looks a lot brighter this morning after Tommy Hanson threw a 14 K no hitter in AA last night. The kid is only 21, is 6'6 and has 98 strikeouts in 90 innings this year. Suddenly a rotation next year of Hudson, Jurrjens, Morton, Reyes and Hanson doesn't look so bad. (Note to Frank Wren: please please please do not trade Hanson + prospects to Pittsburgh for Jason Bay). I wouldn't be upset if the Braves trade Tex before the deadline and restock the farm system, maybe get a legit corner bat, and then let's start clearing space at Turner Field for that 2009 NL East banner (maybe right next to the ridiculous cow they just installed).

Back From the Dead

I would like to take this opportunity to try and rekindle the flame that once was We is Notre Dame. A trip to Vegas less than a month ago really got me thinking and a few others that we should revive the blog and continue to share the thoughts of our sick minds. If you like long winded diatribes about Big East basketball and insane ramblings about the Atlanta Braves we will be bringing them back to you all.
I lay down the gauntlet to my fellow We is NDers to help me in reviving the blog and bringing her back to her former glory.